In a silver halide color photographic light sensitive material (hereinafter, also denoted as a color photographic material or photographic material), which incorporates a coupler in a silver halide emulsion layer, an oleophilic ballast group is introduced into the coupler molecule, and the coupler is dissolved in an organic high boiling solvent and dispersed in a hydrophilic colloid to be incorporated in the layer.
Basic properties required for the coupler are that it be highly soluble in a high boiling organic solvent, that it can be readily dispersed in a silver halide emulsion and its dispersion stability be excellent and resist precipitation, that a clear dye image superior in spectral absorption characteristics and having a broad color reproduction region can be formed, which is fast to light, heat and humidity, and that it can be made from inexpensive materials through a fairly simple process, with high reproducibility and yield.
The role of the coupler in the above performance is extensive and specific ballast groups are proposed in Japanese Patents 44-3660, 48-25655, 48-25932, 48-25934, 49-16057, 51-40804, JP-A 47-4481, 49-8228, 50-19435, 51-126831, 52-86333, 56-30126, 57-146251, 58-42045, 59-177557, and 60-24547, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,908,573, 2,920,961 and 3,227,544.
However, these ballast groups were proved to be insufficient for satisfying the above properties.
In particular, a pyrazolotriazole type cyan coupler requires further improvements in terms of high solubility in a high boiling organic solvent, excellent color reproduction in a high density region and capable of being produced from inexpensive materials through a relatively simple synthesis method with high reproducibility and high yield.